The is a general notification to anyone who has purchased or is looking to purchase GoLite gear from Backpacking Light member, John Devitt. John has been attending our warehouse sales for a while now.

At each sale John has multiple stories for managers and staff on why he would like to buy many items in bulk. At our Colorado Springs Sale John stated that he was buying for a Boy Scout Troop. That product actually ended up being sold at a significant markup (over his purchase price) on multiple websites including this one. At our current Boulder sale John informed me that he was buying for family and friends...This product is now marked up on this website.

This post is to make sure that you are not being taken advantage by John and paying prices that are significantly greater than John has paid at the sales.

If you do want to purchase a GoLite item from John, I would ask to pay the price that he paid at the warehouse sale...which is close to 50% off of the retail.

I have sent John the following PM below.

Hello John,

I helped you at the GoLite warehouse sale last night. I am one of GoLite's North American Asst. Sales Managers. I now understand the reason you have spent over $3000 at the sale so far...in order to sell it at a mark up on multiple websites.

That said, you are no longer welcome back to any of our sales. You are marking up our products, over the sale price, in order to make money for yourself and you ARE NOT AN AUTHORIZED RESELLER.

If we see you at any future sales or swipe your credit card, you will be asked to leave and will be escorted out.

The GoLite warehouse sale is not meant to be used as a wholesale source for you to make extra money.

With all due respect, what does it matter to you what he does with the gear once he has purchased it from the Golite sale? I don't believe he has claimed to be an authorized dealer. I also believe he is still selling the gear at a substantial discount from retail. Where's the problem?

I do not like the fact that he lied to you about his intent, but I don't think you had any business asking the question in the first place unless it was just idle chit-chat.

Unless you have a policy strictly forbidding this, he didn't do anything wrong. And if you do a have a policy against this, does this mean you are going to yell at me if I try to sell a piece of Golite gear?

"Unless you have a policy strictly forbidding this, he didn't do anything wrong."

Most companies try to protect their retail dealers by setting pricing and controlling distribution. If a bricks and mortar, or a web based dealer, starts undercutting they will get a call.

At the Golite Sale the questions were asked to determine destination of their goods, for the same reason. Golite offered everybody a break with the sale. Good for them. Golite extended themselves for a "good cause" - Boy Scouts - Good for Them.

Now they are protecting their market, their distribution, and their retailers, all critical to the longevity of their business. Good for them.

I don't buy much Golite product, but I don't want to see any company handicapped by someone taking advantage of a good thing. That screws the company, the other folks in the world, and ultimately me.

I was extremely close to buying a golite 20 from him the other day. I am glad that I didn't. Not just because of his direct lying myself and to others on this forum, but this shows that he most likely would be unreliable if something went wrong.

In John's defense, he was somewhat clear on this site that he had purchased the items from the GoLite sale and was marking them up. I understood this because he posted it early on. John wrote:

"I like to use Golite gear and I pick up some extra items at the sales to pass on deals and to help defray the cost of my purchases.

Yes, I waited 4 hours at the sale for the doors to open."

I can see GoLite being upset that they were lied to and that someone used their sale as an opportunity to pick up large volumes for re-sale. John's transaction with them may not have been totally ethical, but his transactions on here seem to fair IMO. I think a lot of people who don't live near GoLite are glad to have the chance just to obtain these out of production items even if it's not at 50% off.

Mike: You guys should bring back 4oz Reed pants, the Ion and lighter quilt fabrics etc so there isn't so much pent up demand on here :)

Maybe Golite could post rules and conditions at the sale if they want to limit what a buyer can do with their products after they are purchased.I bought a SL3 on Sierra Trading Post for $80. If I choose to sell it for whatever the market will pay...that is my right in America.Let him sell!

I guess I don't see an issue with reselling gear purchased at a GoLite Warehouse Sale/Patagonia Outlet Sale/REI Garage Sale etc. The only way the retailers can force out someone like John would be to put a purchase cap into place. If someone you know, like John, spends $3000 at such a sale that alone should raise your concern as to their intent. The only reasons which I could understand other than them passing on those items at markup, would be a scout troop leader, college adventure group, church group, or other outdoor group. Does this mean I can't sell my display model Seedhouse SL2 at a markup? How about that new R1 hoody at the Patagonia Outlet sale I passed up last week for $60... I bet I could have sold that for a profit.

So long as the seller notifies us properly about the item's origin... let the buyers decide if there's a market for such people.

I have mixed feelings about this...yes, the goods sold were still at good prices, and I haven't seen anything to indicate he hasn't delivered what was promised.

However, having spent my career managing overlapping channels of distribution, most manufacturers have ideas of what their route to market ought to be. In many cases, authorized resellers are required to buy and hold inventory, run specific promotions, and are encumbered by a reseller agreement. That's not anti-capitalism...it's the way to protect a brand and the manufacturer's investment. As another example, when Victorinox first launched their watches in the US, they had very strict rules about pricing, sales, etc...and actively pursued anyone who violated that. Back to GoLite - if you're a reseller like Backcountry.com,. for example, you buy into the program expecting to do a certain amount of business...if that is undercut by someone who doesn't pay for advertising, but snipes away some of your business, you may give up your legitmate business in favor of the grey market. But now GoLite has lost a likely larger reseller in favor of an occasional reseller like John here.

I do see both sides, but believe GoLite can set whatever policy they want. However, the deception is the problem I see, and if John felt what he was doing was legitimate, why didn't he simply tell them his plan?

Aren't we all friends and family here on BPL? :) If he's offering us better deals than we can get ourselves, aren't we all benefiting? I could spend 2 hours and $10 driving to Boulder and waiting in line for 4 hours but buying on here seems like a way better deal. If you'd rather pay more or spend a lot of time in line, that's up to you.

So Golite asks you why you are buying an item if you go to their sales?

How is this hurting Golite? Wouldn't they have sold the items to someone else anyway? Aren't these closeouts and prototypes and such? I don't think this is anything like a reseller undercutting prices.

I bought a Utopia 1 prototype from him and it didn't match the U1 specs (12" short). He said he would absolutely make it right and left it up to me. I decided to keep it as it was 30% of retail price and I'm not tall anyway. But it shows you can trust John in a transaction. I wouldn't worry about that one bit.